


choir, valentines, and dinner

by taeils



Category: Beast (Band)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-15
Updated: 2015-02-15
Packaged: 2018-03-12 23:20:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,156
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3359042
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/taeils/pseuds/taeils
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>prompt: "forget high school au, i want high school TEACHERS au"<br/>happy valentines day~! written for steph~!</p>
            </blockquote>





	choir, valentines, and dinner

junhyung is in the habit of hanging out near the choir room on his lunch breaks. the first floor is almost always deserted, all other music classes in session, so he just takes his food and sits down there, listening to the pleasant voice of the choral instructor. he can’t really pinpoint why he likes it, but there’s a quality in that voice that really gets to him.

he thinks if he were a student in the choir, it’d probably be all too difficult for him to ever get his voice to come out.

“yong junhyung,” he hears from down the hall. looking up from his half-finished sandwich, junhyung makes an expression somewhere between a grimace and a glare.

“jang hyunseung,” he returns stiffly.

“aha, so excited to see me,” the fellow music composition teacher greets cheekily. junhyung rolls his eyes. “what’re you doing on the first floor, mr. famous songwriter? avoiding your devoted fan club?”

“are you kidding?” junhyung gestures to the conspicuous sandwich in his lap. “and what about yourself? you definitely have a class right now.”

"yeah, i'm late," hyunseung beams. "i had business with the band teacher."

"marching band?" juhyung quirks a brow, and hyunseung nods. "you mean lee kikwang? what kind of business?"

"none of your business," hyunseung waggles his eyebrows. junhyung makes a gagging motion, earning a laugh. "just kidding. we took bets on how you'd react to that huge bouquet of flowers on your desk this morning." caught by surprise, blush faintly tinges junhyung's cheeks.

he picks his sandwich up, lamely mumbling, "why the hell would you take bets on something like that?"

"see, kikwang was convinced you'd keep the bouquet to be a nice guy, but i knew better."

"what's that supposed to mean? i'm a nice guy," junhyung huffs. hyunseung ignores him.

"so i was just getting the money he owed me. i'm amazed you actually got those flowers into the dumpster, that bouquet was huge."

"fuck off," junhyung purses his lips. "what was i supposed to do with it? if i carried it home, the media would have made a fiasco of the whole thing and i really just want to teach in peace."

"i don't think you're really in a position to want peace," hyunseung gives him an amused look. junhyung glares at him until he adds, "alright, i'm sorry. even celebrities deserve peace and quiet sometimes." junhyung rolls his eyes again as he takes another bite of his sandwich.

in the next moment of silence, voices from the choir waft through the door. junhyung chews and listens until hyunseung mutters, "what if the bouquet was from yang yoseob?"

junhyung can't help choking on his food. "get out of here," he coughs, waving a hand at the other male. he'd like for the red on his face to be attributed to the sudden lack of air, but hyunseung obviously knows better.

"i'd love to know what story you'd give the media in that case," he smirks.

"go," junhyung wheezes, attempting to look menacing. he finally manages to get his breath back as hyunseung reaches the stairwell and calls after him, "i hope your class has left by the time you get there!"

hyunseung turns around to give him a thumbs up. junhyung resists the urge to throw the rest of his sandwich at him.

 

 

junhyung's just finishing grading the quizzes he'd given out in class earlier when he hears the pleasant voice. "i'm heading out, see you guys tomorrow." he looks up to see the choir director with the other music teachers, coat on, bag slung over his shoulder. suddenly, the quizzes are the least of his worries. in a frenzy, he shoves them into a folder, stuffs the folder into his own bag, grabs his coat by the sleeve, and rushes out of his chair.

he catches the other teacher as he's leaving the teacher's lounge. "yoseob," he says a bit breathlessly, "can i-" he almost forgets his words when confused eyes land on him, "-walk with you?"

"with me?" the choral instructor blinks at him. "is there something you need from me?"

"w-well," junhyung sputters. he'd probably been too suspicious. "we haven't gotten any time to get to know each other. since i know all of the other music teachers already, i thought-"

yoseob interrupts him with a laugh. "you don't have to explain so thoroughly," he quirks a brow. "although, it might be unbecoming for a famous songwriter such as yourself to walk with a lowly teacher like me."

junhyung's mouth opens and closes a few times as he tries to come up with a response, but before he can, yoseob laughs again. "i'm kidding," he grins. "you don't seem to have much of a sense of humor, mr. yong."

"s-sorry," junhyung gets out, shoulders sagging while embarrassment turns his cheeks pink. this isn't really going how he planned.

"no need to apologize. let's go," the choir director holds the door for him.

junhyung happens to glance back as he's walking out and catches hyunseung making an obscene gesture at him. he flips the other male off.

the two make their way down the hall to the school entrance. conversation. make conversation, junhyung. "i was on the first floor for an errand earlier," he says. he fiddles with his bag as he tries to get his coat on. "you're a good teacher, the kids sounded great."

"thanks," yoseob smiles. the expression gives the taller male a warm feeling. "they've been working hard. we've got a competition coming up after valentine's day, so it's been hard practice everyday to get ready."

the mention of valentine's day has junhyung queasy; the number of chocolates the female students will be sneaking into his office is a thought he'd rather keep out of his head for now. well, that, and whether or not he should get anything for the choir instructor, but-

"what about your students?" yoseob cuts off his thought. the interruption is very welcome. "this is your first year here, correct? i hope they're at least well-behaved."

"oh, very much so!" junhyung nods, mustering a smile. "they're helping me get into the routine of teaching. i'd say it's coming along so far, but i could be wrong."

"that's good to hear," yoseob smiles as well. "i imagine going from writing hit songs to high school teaching must be something of a big leap. what made you decide to teach?"

"it was," junhyung nods again. "but i think it's been a nice change. my friend hyunseung who's in the same field, he recommended i come teach here when the other music comp teacher left. with him as a reference and a recognizable name, i guess they couldn't turn me down. i was worried if i'd be good enough, though."

“that’s quite a backstory,” yoseob raises a brow at him, “but you didn’t answer my question.”

“i didn’t?” junhyung blinks a few times, flustered. “sorry! it’s just- i hadn’t really given much thought as to why i did it. i guess i… well, i like kids, and it’s really inspiring to be able to meet people who are as passionate about music as i am. i know a lot about music composition, but i never really had the chance to share my knowledge with anyone.” junhyung is aware he’s probably talking too much, but with yoseob giving him such an encouraging look, he can’t help but keep going.

“hyunseung’s invitation was… how do i put it… an opportunity that i didn’t think i could pass up. i got so excited thinking about ways to put my knowledge into lessons that would make sense for beginners, and i think in that way, it’s helped me begin to grow at my profession.” blushing faintly, he takes a deep breath and tugs in the reigns. he sort of hoped that yoseob would do more talking than him. “ah, i’m sorry. that was probably a bit boring.”

“not at all!” the choral instructor grins widely. “it’s obvious you’re very passionate about what you do. i like that.” the blush brightens. “i’m not sure why but i didn’t expect such a genuine answer.”

“why’s that?” junhyung asks, brows furrowing.

“hard to say,” yoseob hums. “celebrities give off this cold sort of aura. to be honest, when i first saw you at the beginning of the semester, i thought you might sue me if i even so much as looked at you.”

“do i really look like that??” junhyung exclaims, eyes widening.

“you have that look at first glance,” is the tinkling laugh of a response. junhyung’s face burns. “but after seeing more of you, i decided you’re more like a pitbull. even with a hostile appearance, you’re just a cuddly little dog who loves attention.”

“seriously?” junhyung’s shoulders sag again, blush still prevalent on his face. “aish… you sure talk big for this being our first real conversation.”

“do i?” yoseob laughs again. “sorry, i have a habit of talking like this if someone makes me feel comfortable.”  at that, the songwriter perks up immediately.

well, that’s certainly a good sign. yoseob is comfortable with him. definitely a good sign.

when they reach yoseob’s car, junhyung reluctantly bids goodbye to the choir director. afterward, he makes his way to his own car, but once inside, he simply sits in the driver’s seat. he peers over at his bag, mind going to the folder of sheet music he’d neglected to take out.

“i guess there’s always next time to ask him about it…” he mutters, sighing before starting up the vehicle.

 

 

with valentine’s day approaching fast, junhyung finds himself growing more and more anxious. he’s never really minded the fangirls, appreciated their support of his work, and even enjoyed their compliments and attention at times. but more than anything, he’s worried to see just how the pseudo-romantic holiday will turn out now that he’s in a more public setting.

at least when he got valentine’s chocolate sent to his studio, he could just keep it there and let the staff eat it. in a public space like this, though, there’ll be the expectation. if he doesn’t take the chocolates with him, he just knows he’ll never hear the end of it.

he should have just started a rumor that he’s allergic to chocolate and saved himself the trouble. why has he never been very good at planning ahead?

and then there’s the problem of yang yoseob. if he’s gonna do anything, he needs to research beforehand. and he needs to be discreet about it. if he ends up not being able to go through with this, he doesn’t want there to be any false hopes.

“chocolate?” hyunseung cocks a brow. “you want to know if yoseob likes chocolate?”

“keep your voice down,” junhyung hisses, cheeks pink.

“why would i know?” hyunseung gives him a sly look. junhyung’s eye twitches.

“because you’ve been teaching here for a while,” the songwriter shoots a look over his shoulder to make sure the choir instructor is still preoccupied with talking to the orchestra teacher. “if you’re not gonna tell me, i’m never going to confide in you again after this.”

“oh, don’t be that way,” hyunseung teasingly whines, hitting junhyung’s shoulder, “i love your secrets!” junhyung gives him a look. “alright, i’ll tell you what i know. he’s actually pretty popular, himself, you know. certainly not on your scale, but for a high school teacher without much of a reputation outside of the school, he sure does gets a decent amount of chocolates.”

junhyung’s heart drops. if he gets a lot, then maybe it’s not such a good idea to…

“as for whether or not he likes them, i honestly can’t say. he takes them all home with him, but i don’t know what he does with them.” hyunseung pauses watching the color drain from junhyung’s face. “although,” he adds, smirking, “i have heard him say he prefers homemade chocolate.”

“homemade chocolate?” kikwang pipes up from a few desks down. “is junhyung making chocolate?”

at the sound of the raised voice, yoseob looks over and catches junhyung’s gaze. flustered, junhyung reaches over and hits kikwang lightly over the head. “i most certainly am not, so don’t ask for any!”

“i’ll make you some, kikwangie,” hyunseung coos, chuckling and dodging as junhyung aims for him next.

“better not eat them,” junhyung warns, “he can’t bake to save his life.” the elder boy shushes him as kikwang laughs. the songwriter thinks he’s sees yoseob chuckling to himself, as well.

 

 

after their initial conversation, junhyung and yoseob take to meeting after school to walk together. they converse easily, which is a huge relief to junhyung. he’d had this idea that he’d get too tongue-tied to talk in yoseob’s presence; he does, however, tend to get a little mesmerized when yoseob speaks to him.

“i’ve been teaching for a couple years now,” the choral instructor is saying. “after i got my degree and became certified to teach, i spent a little time searching before i was hired here. it was a lucky break, i think. this school is nicer than most, and i feel like there’s more of a conscious effort to care for the students.” he smiles. “i didn’t want to work at a school that only focused on grades. the point of school is to help students learn, isn’t it?”

“exactly!” junhyung nods vigorously, composing himself in time. “i hate that the education system has become so corrupt. the only important thing is that a student gets all a’s, not that they actually understand what they’re learning and enjoy learning it.”

this time, yoseob nods. “i’m glad we see eye to eye on this subject. i’ve had my fair share of debates about it while i was in school. i think people who can share opinions will get along better, don’t you?”

“y-yeah,” junhyung agrees, taken aback by the statement. it’s reassuring, to say the least.

this isn’t the only time they have the same opinions on matters. they talk on a range of subjects, varying from the importance of music and the arts as a part of education, to the best restaurants in the area.

meanwhile, junhyung finds it harder to actually bring up the subject that’s been nagging at him. the folder still sits, untouched, in his bag. apart from the few times he’s glanced it over to see if it’s really worth anything, he just can’t find the courage to actually present it to the choir director.

and valentine’s day is another whole matter on its own. he’s been trying not to think about it for the time being, but there’s only a few days left.

making chocolate wouldn’t really be his style. and even if he did, how on earth would he get them to yoseob in the first place? he could always arrive earlier than usual to leave them on his desk before anyone else gets there. but then they’d probably get lost among the rest of the chocolates he’d get, and junhyung is far too self-conscious to attach his name to the goods.

there is the option of… giving them directly to him. thinking about that makes junhyung feel lightheaded, though, so he forces the idea out of his mind.

yeah, it’s best that he doesn’t cramp his style. definitely better that way.

he repeats the sentiments again as he buys the necessary ingredients and takes them home to get started.

he supposes if he doesn’t give them to yoseob, he can just eat them himself.

 

 

finally, the day comes. valentine’s day.

d-day.

junhyung spends an extra fifteen minutes getting ready just staring at the small bag of slightly misshapen chocolates he’d finished the previous night. they taste good, which is all that matters, but aesthetic is still important. he ties a bow around the neck of the bag just to be safe.

when he reaches the teacher’s lounge, he finds the other music teachers crowding around his desk. dread grips him.

it’s started.

“jeez, i knew you were popular, but this is something else,” kikwang mutters a bit jealously. “do you know how many of those look homemade? you’re so lucky…”

“what’s so good about homemade?” doojoon asks. “all the kids in the orchestra said they prefer storebought.”

“i’ll admit, storebought tastes better,” kikwang nods, “but c’mon, think about how much effort and love goes into those homemade goodies. there’s something totally special in that.”

“you’re such a romantic,” hyunseung makes an expression somewhere between amused and grossed out.

“it’d be nice if you’d all move away from my desk so i can sit down, please,” junhyung grumbles, scanning the present crowd. yoseob is nowhere to be seen. good. at least now he can clear away this pile of chocolates before-

“that’s quite a display,” comes the familiar pleasant voice. too late. junhyung stiffens and glances back to see the choral instructor eyeing his desk, clearly impressed. “so that’s what it’s like to be a celebrity, huh. must be nice.”

“hey, you’re like this school’s own celebrity,” doojoon throws back, gesturing toward yoseob’s own desk. “excluding him, you get the most chocolates.”

with reluctance, junhyung forces himself to look at the desk. there is certainly a lot.

“yeah, but it doesn’t really mean much unless you get it from special someone,” yoseob sighs, shaking off his coat as he goes over to his desk. the words make junhyung perk up. “i wish they wouldn’t spend their money like this. it’s nice that they left them here, but isn’t it more meaningful to give the chocolate directly to the person if you say that you like them?”

junhyung pointedly ignores the disgustingly smug smirk on hyunseung’s face.

suddenly handing the chocolates to yoseob after school doesn’t seem like such a bad idea.

he can play it off that he made them for himself and had some extra. or maybe if he says he gave some to the other teachers already, yoseob won’t get too suspicious. but maybe he wants yoseob to be suspicious.

if he could make up his mind, that’d be nice.

throughout the day, more and more chocolate accumulates on junhyung’s desk. he’s beginning to think that every female student in the whole school had come at some point to make an offering, or at least three quarters of the student body (he finds a few from boy students as well, which is actually a little flattering, really). a few students from his classes even pull him aside after class to collectively give him their valentines, which he takes reluctantly but still thanks them.

he’s really just waiting for the end of the day so he can walk yoseob to his car and give him his chocolates.

 

 

“are you going to eat all of them?” junhyung asks, gesturing to bags in yoseob’s hands. “it sure is a lot.”

“yeah, but i can do it if i pace myself,” yoseob shrugs, grinning. “i was still finishing off valentine’s chocolate in june last year. some of this stuff lasts for a long time.”

“seriously?” junhyung can’t help laughing.

“and what about yourself?” yoseob quirks a brow at him, eyeing junhyung’s heavier load. “i’m sure this can’t be the most chocolate you’ve ever received.”

junhyung blushes lightly. “you’re probably right,” he says. “but i don’t think i could eat this much chocolate even if i wanted to. i’d get sick of it. i usually end up giving it to staff and employees from my company.”

“hey, at least that way it’s still being enjoyed,” the choir director nods. “it’s better than throwing it out, i’m sure.”

“yeah, that’s true,” junhyung mumbles. he fingers the small bag in his coat pocket, growing more self conscious the closer they get to the parking lot. he tries not to think about the stupid encouragement hyunseung had given him before he’d left the teacher’s lounge.

he still has no idea what to say when he gives them to yoseob.

it happens somewhere between yoseob’s, “see you tomorrow,” and what would have been junhyung’s return of the sentiment. junhyung hasn’t even registered that he’d taken the chocolates out until he realizes yoseob is staring at him, confusion clear on his features, and then the predicament is hitting him full force as he tries to find his words.

“i just-” regret. he shouldn’t have done this. “it’s been a while since the last time i made anything, and i thought-” this is seriously not coming out right. “i mean, i know you already got a lot of chocolate, but-”

it seems to go over yoseob’s head.

“is this a joke?”

“j-joke?” junhyung sputters, eyes bugging out. “wh- no! why would i joke about something like this?” he decides to forfeit his dignity for the moment and just opt for the truth. “i.. well, i made these for you. specifically.”

the choral instructor stares a little longer, appearing to let this sink in. presently, and to junhyung’s surprise, blush faintly coats his cheeks. “you’re saying..?” he shakes his head. “that is, i thought… that maybe one of the other guys put you up to this…?”

“no way,” junhyung hurriedly denies. “the only other person who knew i was even doing this is hyunseung, and there’s no way i’d ever let him talk me into doing something i didn’t want to do.” taking a deep breath, he offers the chocolate to yoseob once more. “trust me, this is sincere. please accept.”

silently, yoseob reaches out, his fingers closing around the bag and brushing against junhyung’s. a second later and he’s smiling, face still pink. “thanks,” he says honestly. “i’ll eat them well.”

a bit flustered, junhyung mumbles, “i hope they’re edible. i wasn’t lying when i said it’s been a while since i made anything. i was usually too busy working to afford time for baking, but teaching has provided a little more free time than songwriting.”

“it doesn’t really matter to me how it tastes since you’re the one who made it,” yoseob smiles. junhyung bites his lip. “you don’t really look like it, but you have quite a romantic side, don’t you?”

the words make junhyung feel even more embarrassed, but he plays it off. “it comes in handy when i’m writing love songs,” he shrugs. the choir director laughs. finding the courage at last, he reaches into his bag. “you know, um… speaking of writing songs, there’s actually…”

“actually…?” yoseob prompts when he falters, folder clasped in his hand.

taking a deep breath, junhyung keeps his gaze lowered as he explains. “i’ve been working on… a new song. it’s outside of my usual field, so i’m not sure if it’s any good.”

“if you wrote it, there’s not doubt it will be good,” yoseob gives him a quizzical look, but falls silent when junhyung motions for him not to interrupt.

“since it’s a type of songwriting i’m not used to, i thought it would be good to get an opinion from someone who is in the field.” at that, he holds the folder out, willing himself to ignore the self-consciousness he feels. “so that’s why… i was hoping… that you might be willing to take a look at it for me.”

yoseob’s eyes widen. “me?” he repeats, putting junhyung’s valentine’s chocolates into his pocket before accepting the folder. “what field are you talking about that you would need-?” he stops mid sentence as he opens it and scans over the sheet music. “wait… junhyung, is this choral music?”

“l-like i said,” junhyung hurriedly waves his hands in dismissal, “it’s not something i’m used to writing so i just know it’ll be really awful, but i…” he exhales slowly. “i got inspired when i first started teaching here and heard your class. i realized that there was a type of music that i hadn’t dabbled in. i wanted to challenge myself.” he looks down again. “you inspired me.”

yoseob doesn’t say anything for a moment. junhyung presumes he’s reading over the sheet music until he feels a hand on his shoulder, and he’s looking up to see a warmth in the choral instructor’s eyes. “you should have confidence in your work,” yoseob says. “you’re an amazing songwriter, and i don’t think that’s going to change just because you’re trying out something new.”

“th-thanks,” junhyung gets out, caught off guard. yoseob sure is diligent with the compliments.

“i’ll look over this tonight,” yoseob continues, holding the folder up. “since i don’t have any chocolate to repay you, i hope you’ll allow me to treat you to dinner tomorrow evening. i’ll give it back to you then.”

“dinner?” junhyung’s voice comes out strained.

“dinner,” yoseob nods, grinning. “i know a good place. and you can’t say no.”

junhyung had hardly expected yoseob to accept the chocolates; being invited to dinner is possibly the last thing he would have thought could happen.

“okay,” he agrees after taking a few deep breaths. “dinner.”

 

 


End file.
